DUBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday announced the venue allocation criteria for the quarter-finals of the World Cup which will be held from Feb 14 to March 29. If World Cup co-hosts Australia and New Zealand were to qualify from Pool A, they will play their quarter-finals in Adelaide and Wellington March 20 and 21, respectively. Besides the hosts, the current rankings list Sri Lanka and England as the two next...

highest ranked teams in Pool A. If these teams qualify for the quarters, Sri Lanka will play in Sydney March 18 and England will play in Melbourne March 19, irrespective of where in the top-4 these teams finish. “It is customary for the ICC to afford the hosts the opportunity to play knock-outs at home where possible during the World Cup. It is also usual for the ICC to assign venues to the higher ranked teams on the assumption they will progress through the pool stage," said ICC general manager (cricket) Geoff Allardice."This is done to assist teams and spectators with their planning by giving them greater certainty. On this basis, the ICC has allocated quarter-final venues to the next two highest ranked teams from Pool A.”However, if any one of the two hosts or the two next highest ranked Pool A teams fail to reach the last eight, then the team that qualifies will play at the venue that was allocated to the side that did not qualify. For example, if Sri Lanka fail to reach the quarters, the Pool A team that qualifies instead of Sri Lanka will play in Sydney March 18. The venues for quarter-finalists from Pool B will be determined by their Pool A opponents on the basis of their finishing positions in the group stage.For example, if defending champions India top Pool B in position B1, they will play against the Pool A team that finishes in position A4. Therefore, if Sri Lanka finish in position A4 then India will play Sri Lanka in Sydney March 18.As far as semi-finals are concerned, if Australia and New Zealand qualify, they will play at home unless they are scheduled to meet each other. In this case, the side that finished higher in Pool A will host the match.Once it is known whether Australia and New Zealand can meet in a semi-final (at the end of the pool stage), the semi-final venue allocations will be confirmed. If both the hosts fail to reach the quarter-finals, the winner of the Wellington quarter-final will play its semi-final in Sydney. Quarter-final matches:Quarter-final 1 - A1 v B4Quarter-final 2 - A2 v B3Quarter-final 3 - A3 v B2Quarter-final 4 - A4 v B1A1 means the side that tops Pool A while B4 means the side that finishes fourth in Pool BQuarter-final dates and venues:March 18 at Sydney Cricket GroundMarch 19 at Melbourne Cricket GroundMarch 20 at Adelaide OvalMarch 21 at Wellington StadiumSemi-final matches:Semi-final 1 - winner QF1 (A1 v B4) v winner QF3 (A3 v B2)Semi-final 2 - winner QF2 (A2 v B3) v winner QF4 (A4 v B1)Semi-final dates and venues:March 24 at Eden Park, AucklandMarch 26 at Sydney Cricket GroundFinal date and venue:March 29 at Melbourne Cricket Ground